I am fed up with various aspects of Comcast (most specifically, their asinine service-transfer policies), so when I move next month, I am thinking of changing to either Time Warner or Cablevision, for both my TV and high-speed internet.
Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with these companies?
Sorry, I’ve no info for you, Eve. I’m just posting to ask:
Moving? Does this mean we’ll get no more updates on your battling downstairs ne’er-do-well neighbors?
I use Cablevision’s Optimum Online service and have no complaints.
Though there are times I wish there was “real” competition (multiple providers) so that I could have something to compare to. (I’m discounting DSL since it is inherently slower).
I e’d them both to ask if I can get internet/TV/telephone service, and if they get TCM (a deal-breaker if “no”). I’d hate to change my e-dress, but that’s how fed-up I am with Comcast.
Yes, I am leaving Cletus and Brandine and moving into a much posher neighborhood.
I’ve had Time Warner for cable service for 6 years, and internet service for 5 years. I’ve been happy with them; their customer service people are nice, and their techs are good. I have the basic and standard packages, so I don’t have a cable box inside my house. I rarely have problems with Roadrunner (only when they’re doing maintenance in my area, or we’re having severe storms). They provided the modem – at the time I got it, there was some kind of promotion going on for this though. While they provide software, you don’t have to install it; in fact, customer support encouraged me not to because so many Windows users were having trouble with it.
I also purchased a firewall/router to go with my modem; I can connect multiple computers to my cable connection with no problem. I’ve heard that some cable providers frown on this practice though.
Hmmm…“asinine service-transfer policies”? Care to elaborate? We’re moving next month, and would like to know ahead of time if I can expect some headaches from Comcast.
FTR, I’ve moved in-town at least four times without any problems from them, but this move will entail going from Comcast of Ocean to Comcast of Central Jersey. I’ve never not had Comcast of Ocean before, so I really don’t know what to expect (except for the loss of my beloved New York feed…sniff).
OK, it seems Time Warner Cable has a $99/month deal: cable TV (with TCM!), digital phone, and internet. Questions:
“Digital” phone? Wha-huh? It says it can use existing phones and jacks; what’s with the “digital?”
Which online service is best? They offer either Earthlink or Roadrunner.
Thanks! (I feel like Mr. Burns: “I would like to purchase a cableoptican for my televeiwer machine, please.”)
[QUOTE=Hal Briston]
Hmmm…“asinine service-transfer policies”? Care to elaborate?
[/QUOTE]
**Call no. 1, last week: **
“I’d like to transfer my cable from my old address to my new address.”
“Sorry, you can’t schedule a hookup till the people in your new apartment have called to schedule a disconnect. As soon as they do, you can schedule a connect.”
[pause while people in new apt. schedule disconnect for May 31]
**Call no. 2, this morning: **
“I’d like to transfer my cable from my old address to my new address.”
“Sorry, you can’t schedule a hookup till after the old cable is actually disconnected in the new apartment.”
“Umm, so if I need cable hooked up on June 2, I can’t even call to schedule an appointment till June 1?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Will you have someone available on such short notice?”
“No, probably not.”
Ahhh yes…I did run into that once before. Fortunately, the owners of the home we’re buying are already moved out, so I’m going to figure they didn’t leave the cable going in an unoccupied house.
Either that, or I’ll just hope that they did keep it going, and for some reason never question the monthly bill they get for service to a place they no longer live.
The cable companies are Satan’s representatives on this plane, so by design this won’t end happily. Still, I hope you get through it with minimal misery, Eve, and that you don’t lose much TCM time. They’re becoming a more important resource every year. My instincts tell me that someone will buy them them shut them down soon, but until they do, between their world-TV premieres of Valentino rarities, a lost Gloria Swanson-Rudolph Valentino collaboration premiere, and their series on Race this month–not to mention their monthlong Bette Davis feature–I’m not watching much of anything else these days.
[QUOTE=Eve]
OK, it seems Time Warner Cable has a $99/month deal: cable TV (with TCM!), digital phone, and internet. Questions:
“Digital” phone? Wha-huh? It says it can use existing phones and jacks; what’s with the “digital?”
[/QUOTE]
Damn you! It must be nice top live in an area with more than one cable company, so they actually ahve to have competative rates! When I was paying for cable, it was $100 for just the TV and internet, digital phone was $30 more a month.
Anyway, about the digital phone service: My guess is that they disconnect where the regular phone lines goes into your internal wiring and then attach their digital line. The benefits of digital phone are usually much better quality (though if you are watching TV and downloading a large file you might get some disconnects,) and the real advantage is that (with most digital phone services) it’s a flat rate a month with unlimited calling to anywhere is the US. The cons are, mas said, the quality will drop if you are sucking the bandwidth with your TV and PC (though I suspect you don’t download large files too often,) and the real kicker, 911 service might not be real 911 service. I know that in the past there was a big hubabaloo with the digital companies being denied service from the 911 providers, so what happened was if you dialed 911 you’d get a “call center” operated by your cable company, and they would dispatch emergency services. The thing is, that call center might be in another state.
Someone with more knowledge might be able to clarrify what the current deal with that is now.
[QUOTE=bouv]
My guess is that they disconnect where the regular phone lines goes into your internal wiring and then attach their digital line . . . it’s a flat rate a month with unlimited calling to anywhere is the US . . . 911 service might not be real 911 service.
[/QUOTE]
Hmm, I really like the flat-rate deal, even if when you call 911 you only get Nelson Muntz going, “Ha-ha!”
[QUOTE=bouv]
Anyway, about the digital phone service: My guess is that they disconnect where the regular phone lines goes into your internal wiring and then attach their digital line.
[/QUOTE]
I have TWC digital phone, and this is correct as far as I could tell from watching the installer guy.
TWC’s customer service and reliability are excellent in my experience. Just wish they were cheaper.
The 911 thing should not be a concern. Only thing is, if your cable or power goes out, you have no telephone service either.
[QUOTE=bouv]
Anyway, about the digital phone service: My guess is that they disconnect where the regular phone lines goes into your internal wiring and then attach their digital line. The benefits of digital phone are usually much better quality (though if you are watching TV and downloading a large file you might get some disconnects,) and the real advantage is that (with most digital phone services) it’s a flat rate a month with unlimited calling to anywhere is the US. The cons are, mas said, the quality will drop if you are sucking the bandwidth with your TV and PC (though I suspect you don’t download large files too often,) and the real kicker, 911 service might not be real 911 service. I know that in the past there was a big hubabaloo with the digital companies being denied service from the 911 providers, so what happened was if you dialed 911 you’d get a “call center” operated by your cable company, and they would dispatch emergency services. The thing is, that call center might be in another state.
[/QUOTE]
I do tech. support for Time-Warner, so let me throw in my 2 cents:
What bouv said is essentially correct. Digital Phone (at least through Time-Warner) is voice over IP. They will hook up a modem in your house that will handle both telephone calls and internet service. The modem, for purposes of telephony, will plug into the phone jacks in your house so that all the previously working phone jacks will work with the digital phone service; but when the calls go through the modem, they are converted to digital signals that go out through the internet connection.
As long as there are no signal issues coming from the drop into your house, or issues with the wiring inside the house itself, it works pretty well. You also shouldn’t be dropping connection when downloading things unless there is something wrong, or you are downloading something that is sucking up ALL your bandwidth.
As far as 911 calls go; for Time-Warner service, it is real 911… that is the calls do not go to a Time-Warner call center, but straight through to the 911 operators. We have to be extremely careful when setting up the phone accounts as a small mistake in, for example, the address on the account could result in big legal troubles later.
[QUOTE=Eve]
Hmm, I really like the flat-rate deal, even if when you call 911 you only get Nelson Muntz going, “Ha-ha!”
[/QUOTE]
My only concern with these cable phones is that when the power goes out, normal phones still work, allowing you to call, say, the power company and tell them yours is out.
One time I lost power, called the power company and used their little automated system to notify them my power was out. (I always do this.) This particular time, I got a call back about 20 minutes later. The power company guy told me to gho around back of the house and flip a toggle switch. Sure enough, I was back up and running.
If my phone had been out because of the power, I wonder how long I’d have been sitting around waiting for the power company to even notice my power was out. Forever? I was smelly and dirty from doing some yardwork, and my water is electric, so no shower potential. It would have sucked to have had to drive to a pay phone and schedule an appointment, then gone to the Y to shower.
Anyway, my two cents is that Cablevision is awesome. They (of course) offer TCM. (Who doesn’t?) They have one of the highest numbers of hidef channels, (not that I care, being lodef all the way,) and their high speed internet is second to none. (Not that I care, being dialup all the way.)
Also, my buddy uses the Cablevision DVR service with his digital cable, and he is also all about the hidef. And he’s been a Cablevision broadband guy for over a decade. He loves Cablevision. I don’t use the DVR, but I love the digital cable so much it’s almost creepy. I almost spend as much time surfing the listings menu as actually watching tv…the days of missing stuff is long behind me now that I can search any channel, title or theme a week in advance.
My buddy’s biggest complaint is that with the high speed cable, the deluxe cable package (subscribing to all pay channels, including the hidef counterparts), the DVR subscription, and his Cablevision phone line, he feels like he’s sending in a car payment to the cable company.
[QUOTE=Eve]
OK, it seems Time Warner Cable has a $99/month deal: cable TV (with TCM!), digital phone, and internet. Questions:
“Digital” phone? Wha-huh? It says it can use existing phones and jacks; what’s with the “digital?”
Which online service is best? They offer either Earthlink or Roadrunner.
Thanks! (I feel like Mr. Burns: “I would like to purchase a cableoptican for my televeiwer machine, please.”)
[/QUOTE]
The internet service included with that $99 package is most likely Road Runner Lite, which is a 768k/sec internet connection, rather than the 5Mb/sec connection. So, you are looking at about 15 times faster than dial-up as opposed to 100 times faster. This may be fast enough for you, but some people really like the faster speed. The earthlink and RR will have identical speeds, and will use the same cable line. It really just depends on if you want a Road Runner email address or an Earthlink email address.
The phone service is called “digital” because it uses a digital modem to connect your phone jacks to the cable line. As far as how you use the service it will be just like regular phone service, but the call will leave your home on the cable company’s cable line rather than the phone company’s analog phone line. When the technician comes to install your service, he will connect a phone line from the modem into one of your phone jacks. Assuming your phone jacks are wired correctly, this will activate all of the phone jacks in your home.
Be aware that during power outages, digital phone may cease to work once the backup battery in the modem wears out. Usually the backup battery is good for two hours. This is not a problem that analog phone lines have, since they carry enough power to make your corded phones work.
Eve, where in the US are you that you have the option of changing cable companies? There’s no choice here - if you want cable you subscribe to whatever the local monopoly is.
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee]
…
Anyway, my two cents is that Cablevision is awesome. They (of course) offer TCM. (Who doesn’t?) …
[/QUOTE]
I forgot about this and I rescind my earlier praise of Cablevision.
In my area, Cablevision doesn’t offer TCM, or BBC America.
Occasionally they call, trying to get me to upgrade to their premium digital service (iO) and I ask them repeatedly “How can you have freaking 200 channels and not offer BBC America or TCM?” They act like these are channels no-one wants.
I finally told them that they no longer have permission to call my house and that permission will only be granted when they make those two channels available.
Now learning that in New England they do offer TCM only pisses me off more.
I want pure “a la carte” service. Isn’ t there some legislation looming to force the cable industry to allow this without trying to charge you $300/month for what you want?
[QUOTE=Ellis Dee]
My only concern with these cable phones is that when the power goes out, normal phones still work, allowing you to call, say, the power company and tell them yours is out.
[/QUOTE]
Both the Arris and Webstar modems that most cable providers use have a backup battery that lasts at least 4 hours.
[QUOTE=The Unkempt One]
The internet service included with that $99 package is most likely Road Runner Lite, which is a 768k/sec internet connection, rather than the 5Mb/sec connection.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure where Eve lives, but unless it’s vastly different in that division than here, it should be the regular RR service (currently in transition here from 5Mbps to 7Mbps download). Easy enough to check with sales though… and something I’d certainly want to be sure of before I signed up for it. 